


spring rainstorms

by lutzaussi



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-18 14:26:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7318846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutzaussi/pseuds/lutzaussi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Soifon is trying to meditate, but Yoruichi interrupts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	spring rainstorms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mylittleuboa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylittleuboa/gifts).



Soifon sat in her garden, the white gravel raked to pristine designs that she had flash-stepped over to reach the largest rock. A boulder, really, it sat askew of the center, tall and vertical, the gravel around the moss at its base were raked into a circle. Several small, dark reclining rocks were bumped up near it. Supporting it.

She sat on the rock, shifted so she was perched centered atop it. It was not comfortable, but not completely uncomfortable. A balance.

Often Soifon would be found before supper by Ōmaeda, meditating in different positions in the garden depending on her mood. When she was angry, it would be on the moss next to the group of three “mountains” made from the sharp rocks that symbolized the human world. Contemplative or average days ended amidst a series of low, wide rocks meant to symbolize cranes flying toward the largest rock, the rock that symbolized the Seireitei. That rock, the rock she was sitting on, was for days she didn’t know what to do. Those days, Ōmaeda knew, she stayed until she was ready to leave, dinner be damned.

And with the events of the Seireitei, the human world, and the looming threat of potential invasion by Aizen, there was much for her to consider.

First, though. She cleared her mind, settled her breathing. The taut muscles in her back and shoulders that were beginning to ache from how tense they had grown over the day relaxed. Soifon did not think of the day’s events—there was nothing of note that happened, nothing particularly important in the long run. She did not think of the news from the squad in the human world, where the Arrancar still had not returned. She did not think of how the human girl was now in the Seireitei, with the young Kuchiki, so she might be protected.

Soifon thought of the new maple saplings that she had transplanted two days before, already rooting and growing strong under the spring rains, the young hunting dog that Ōmaeda and Haruko, her third seat, had found and adopted.

Her attempts to avoid thinking of the present crises, though, were abruptly ended when the shoji at the front of the garden slid open. A woman on the other side bowed low, touching her forehead nearly to the ground.

It was Miho—the fifth seat, her mind helpfully supplied. The young woman looked nervous, but stayed composed as she softly spoke, “I am sorry to interrupt you, Captain, but Shihouin Yoruichi-sama wants to speak with you.”

Soifon nodded, flashstepped back to the engawa. “You may return to dinner,” she said kindly. Though it was an annoyance to be disturbed in the middle of meditation, matters of importance always took priority.

Miho bowed, disappeared, and Soifon walked into the shoji, closed it and considered closing the amado as well. Rain clouds were brewing, dark and heavy. She left that chore for whoever came after her, padded on light feet to one of the smaller rooms where guests were typically taken.

Yoruichi was facing away from her, admiring a scroll that one of the squad’s members had done that was hung in the tokonoma. She turned when Soifon entered, the ghost of a sentimental smile still on her lips.

“Yoruichi-san,” Soifon dipped her head, “to what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Rukia-chan asked me to stop by—” she rubbed the back of her head—“she was wondering if someone could be spared from the Onmitsukidō to keep track of Orihime. I am not always here, and she has to take some more duties as Ukitake-san is not doing well.”

Soifon considered, tallied where her people were already placed, how many she would need to keep in reserve. “Someone can be spared—a couple, actually. I will inform them personally tomorrow, if there is no immediacy.”

“Tomorrow is perfect,” the dark-skinned woman blew out a sigh.

Soifon gave her a small, but lopsided smile, said, “Glad to help.”

Yoruichi reached up, let several of Soifon’s soft strands of hair run through her fingers, let her fingers rest on the other woman’s cheek. “Your hair is getting long.”

She smiled, thin, leaned her head slightly into the woman’s touch, “Too busy to get around to cutting it again.”

Yoruichi sighed, let her hand slide down from Soifon’s face. “Kisuke is making more plans, too. I don’t even know what sort of communication he’s had with the Captain-Commander.”

“Probably a lot,” Soifon sighed as well, wrapped her arms around herself. They lapsed into silence, comfortable, as thunder rang out and rain began audibly splattering on the roof.

“I should go,” Yoruichi said, tone almost apologetic, but she didn’t move to go, just slipped her arms around Soifon and held on.

Soifon could do nothing but smile, pat her former captain’s head, and wrap her own thin arms around the other woman.

“Once this stupidity is over,” Yoruichi’s voice was muffled a little when she spoke, “you should come visit. We can go get boba and ignore our duties.”

The small smile that had been on Soifon’s face widened, and she replied, “I would love to.”


End file.
